The "Waterfalls" were a windfall.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the public art work by Olafur Eliasson that put four waterfalls off Manhattan's East Side brought in an estimated $69 million for New York City, exceeding initial expectations of $55 million. The work drew 1.4 million visitors from June 26 to Oct. 13.
Some skeptics are asking to see the breakdown of the $69 million dollar figure. The waterfalls also found detractors among environmentalists, who said the spray was killing foliage near the river.
The project was the city's largest public art endeavor since 2005, when 23 miles of Central Park's footpaths were marked with thousands of saffron drapes hung from specially designed "gates."
More than 5 million people saw "Gates," including about 1.5 million out-of-town visitors, pumping about $254 million into the local economy.
